Sacreda

By: Ultima's Angel

Website: Please see my profile for link (profile also includes full summary and updates)

Disclaimer: A FFX, FFIX, FFVIII AND FFVII crossover. All characters associated with the Final Fantasy name don't belong to me!

I couldn't fit this into the summary but Sacreda is a place made by all the Yevon temples where the summoner visits the worlds of Final Fantasy 9, 8 and 7 and carries out a trial after each to get to the next world. If they succeed (by getting the summoning creature they need from each FF) they will defeat the "practice Sin" and will be considered worthy of aeons


Prologue: A Dream Most Vivid

It was an odd flicker of the darkness that made the city become visible. Although it was blurred and shrouded in obscurity, there was a distinct buzzing atmosphere surrounding it and it was mainly the loud outbursts of a man over a tannoy shouting out "Aaaaaaaaaaaaaaaand it's here at last!" that made it appear clearer.

The city seemed to be drowned in heavy lights, each in turn flickering crazily across the silhouetted buildings like moths that had been exposed to the world's biggest lamp. Excited cheers filled the air with the constant droning of fast paced talking sandwiched in-between. No one seemed to be out and about- the streets lay desolate, the dark alleys more so. It was almost as if someone had stolen the people from the streets and packed them into a tiny space where that was the only place you could really feel that they were there at all.

Somewhere in the distance there were faint mutters of parents fumbling over tickets from out of their bags as their children whined at them to hurry up, loud shouts of jeering drunkards wrapped in shawls with a distinctive logo sewn onto them and high-pitched squeals of excited teenage girls as what seemed like a massive arena filled to the brim of people of all ages and all backgrounds, each as excited and cheery as the next.

" It's going to be the best game ever. I just hope the kid's up for handing us our victory!" some unrecognizable voice echoed, seamlessly integrating with a shrill female voice and some loud announcements.

" O-O-Oh behave Zenthir! Really, if I didn't want to see this so bad I would have taken you home right away!" the woman cried, as an advert for blitzball merchandise appeared on a massive billboard, an accompanying announcement thundering over the whizzing movements of the flashing lighting as it turned onto a new advert.

As it finished, it was quickly replaced by more unmistakable commentary from the man from the tannoy (who had now been joined by some reporter) that merged over the thick layer of faint noise, loud and shrill in comparison to what was happening in the background.

" And they say that our young champion is in tip-top condition, Yinnie?"

" Absolutely, Pip! He is said to be as fit and ready as he can be tonight! The Duggies are in for a sure defeat!"

" And what of the gathering crowds tonight, eh? This is truly an event to remember in years to come-"

" Why Pip, isn't that what I was going to say? You see I was talking to a few outside people just that moment ago…"

Yinnie's voice became louder and then quieter again as a previous recording sounded over the speakers, crackling and hissing as people told of how they were going to tell their great grandchildren about the match or how they intended to celebrate once the Abes had won while, at the end, a few giggly girls commented on how they were going to get the "autograph of their hero."

It was as these last few words finished signaling the end of the report that Yinnie leapt back into action giving a few facts on the star player, every word speeding along at top-speed as if a typewriter was feeding it to her and she had to get it all out before a new page began.

Outside, as Yinnie's facts came to a close, the ticket booths swarmed with more people as the woman inside it battled to close the window and pin up the 'Sold Out' sign and yet more advert announcements made their way out of their amplifiers, blaring over the noise of restless crowds staring obsessively at their watches who were watching, waiting for the gates to pull open to announce the start of the match. It soon came.

Snaking its way through the night air and dampening out all other noise, the opening bars of a familiar rock song played and from the outside of the gates, a sudden roar of people was heard as they cranked open.

" Aaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaand welcome folks!" Pip began, as if was the first time he had spoken, " This is Pip and I'm your commentator for tonight's events. Please take your seats for we will begin shortly!"

He fell silent for a moment. All that was heard was the rock song blaring from every direction as everyone hurried to their seats where staff were being physically thrown back from the hundreds and thousands of people, each desperate to claim their reserved seating arrangements.

" We can't miss the star!" a triumphant voice cried as the crowd took to singing a chant of only two syllables.

" Aaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaand here he is, folks! In only one year he's become the Abes' star player. Please. Put your hands, your lucky chocobo feathers and whatever else you have together and welcome…"

The last word was drowned out by the furious applaud from the audience and in the next moment the match had begun, helped along by Pip's enthusiastic commentary of: " Ooh! Wouldn't want to be on the receiving end of that one folks!" or " That was just plain lucky if you ask me! Our star player was obviously caught off guard!" as Yinnie scooted about the place interviewing anyone she could find, without really much success. The game was in full swing and no one wanted to be bothered with questions on whether they felt it was necessary to book tickets in advance or if they had just turned up, although she had managed to catch a few people off guard.

" Get out off the way woman!" someone was screeching hastily, dodging a microphone that was trying to capture any interesting points of view.

" Well, really Mr- Mr- Mr whatever your name is but I think that unfortunate people who have not managed to get their tickets-"

Yinnie's argument for why she should be allowed to continue came to an abrupt halt as a wild cheer erupted from all sides of the stadium and swiftly died in anticipation.

" OH MY LORD! WHY LOOK AT THIS, FOLKS! And he's caught it, people. Our number one… and… "

Pip's commentating also fell away as the player flew in the air, obviously preparing for some killer move, while the crowds held their breath, gasping with admiration, all hoping for the winning goal. Some stood near the edge of the balcony to get a closer view (no matter how much the guards tried to pull them back) while most gritted their teeth, their eyes fixated, as a hazy outline of the player rose up with a blitzball tucked, like some precious baby, under his arm. It was then the crowd's tense silence changed to gasps of concern.

There, rising above the arena, a massive wall of water was sweeping its way through the night's stars, encasing something within it's watery ramparts and a few shots of the water wall seemed to be aiming right for the star player. All of a sudden, there was a loud explosion. The relaxed, excited tone of the city dissolved into that of utter panic as more explosions rippled through the night's sky. Immense flames broke out, the towering smoke masking the stars that once twinkled, now hid in fear.

Statues smashed into pieces, smoke hurtled through the sky enveloping it in thick clouds and the cool, crisp night air became absorbed in heavy fumes of heat. There were screams of terror as the stadium began to split under the influence of the developing fire that grew angrily underneath while the water, that once resided in the massive sphere, spilt out over the walls and dribbled down the pathways.

From the wrecked doorway, people who had once stood outside eager to enter were now just as keen to leave.

" What's going on? -"

" Zenthir? Where are you? ZENTHIR!"

" We must leave… now! There's no time! It's coming! L-L-Look out!"

And then… everything froze. All was silent. Blurred.

"… You cried…"

It was then as if the volume was suddenly turned up and time sped up again. The scene of horror once again took prime position and through the arena, people were still running wildly, unsure of what to do.

From all directions came fiends, plunging from the sky as the city continued to shatter all around. There was more running. More fiends. More panic. It all seemed endless as the fiends multiplied and the sky filled with yet more smoke. But then something happened. There, upon an odd flicker of darkness, a voice cried out. It had no emotion, nothing recognizable, nothing at all distinctive. Just an echo…

Another voice became clear, only just louder than the noise of objects swooping through the sky.

" This is it. This is your story…"

(This is my first fanfic. I originally wrote quite a bit of it two years ago but have recently edited it. Any reviews/ comments are very welcome to keep me writing! Thanks for reading! O;) )